Rochester Teen Files Lawsuit After Alleged Officer Assault

Rochester teenager Ricky Bryant has filed a civil rights lawsuit against officers the teen said assaulted him after the Puerto Rican Festival in August.

Bryant’s lawyer, Charles Burkwit, said police pushed Bryant off his bike during the incident, and used pepper spray and a Taser to subdue him before taking him into custody.

Yet, according to Burkwit, the Rochester Police Department never filed any charges against Bryant, following the incident.

Burkwit said Bryant also filed a complaint with the RPD immediately after the incident; however, to date, the family has not received any information from the city, including the names of the officers involved, or video of the altercation.

“We have no choice,” Burkwit stated. “We’re doing what we have to do. Maybe if they would have been more transparent and open, maybe litigation could have been avoided.”

Bryant’s mother, Angela Bryant, also said the teen has been suffering from headaches and anxiety recently, after suffering a broken eye socket from the beating.

“Ricky has headaches and anxiety,” Angela stated. “They broke bones in his eye, and we still don’t know if he’s going to have any long term damages. Since this happened, I’ve been getting phone calls from school; he’s been withdrawn. Not only that, if he sees a cop pass, he goes the other way. It’s sad that he feels the way he feels about officers.”

According to Burkwit, the family has also filed a lawsuit against the officers who were present during Ricky’s arrest, but did nothing to stop the altercation.

“We’re not anti-police,” said Rev. Lewis Stewart, during a press conference with the family Thursday. “We’re pro-justice, and we’re pro-fairness. As citizens, we must continue to be proactive, and we must continue to hold up the banner of justice so that we can have fairness, and justice for all people.”

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